Shadow Play
by Wolf in the Walls
Summary: *Finished* Yami Yugi is now in a body of his own and is expieriencing emotions like love, fear and hate. But now someone is out to kill him...someone who knows him well.............
1. Soft hands and sweet music

Shadow Play  
  
  
  
Chapter one: Soft hands and sweet music  
  
Anthy: I don't really own these characters. But I really hope I own myself. Enjoy.  
  
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Yami, having been separated from Yugi and in a body of his own, is experiencing emotions like guilt, trust and love. But now there someone is out to kill him, and whoever it is...knows him inside and out.  
  
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Content: Swearing, death, um...and other stuff.  
  
Rating: PG-13 or R  
  
Enjoy  
  
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To be born again  
  
For your sake Blowing away the past On fluttering clouds Letting the future Fly on flowing winds Fearlessly Unceasingly Patiently To be born again In your arms  
  
Yami looked up at the stars. They glittered strangely in his wandering eyes- --like a trance or a spell. He couldn't believe he never noticed them before. He lay on his back and began connecting them with his finger, making shapes and pictures. A whale, a bear, dogs, fish, a dragon. And then he could see Anthy. He could see her Ryou-style hair, her slender waist, and her kind eyes. Yami smiled and then sighed. She had come back from visiting her parents a week ago, almost dead. Her father who was killed by her killed her mother. Anthy was recovering from the struggle, but it made Yami think about the parents he never knew. Yami looked back at the stars again. He could swear that he heard her kind laughter, and he could feel her soft fingertips on his skin. He felt all "floaty" inside. What was this strange feeling?  
  
"Yami! What are you doing up there?" Yugi asked, sticking half of his body out the window.  
  
"Stargazing." Yami replied dully.  
  
"Well, you should turn in for tonight. It's getting late." Yugi said before retreating into his room. Yami sighed and slipped off the roof, through the open window, and into the bedroom without a sound. He threw his shirt into the laundry basket and kicked his shoes off next to the dresser. He looked at Yugi, "asleep" in the bed, and then he glanced at his sleeping quarters (essentially a pillow and a few blankets in the corner). It was rather forbidding at this time of night.  
  
He stood there, staring at the blankets. He didn't hear Yugi sit up in his bed and watch him. Yami finally went to bed after five minutes. Yugi seemed rather worried. This wasn't like Yami at all. What was wrong?  
  
  
  
  
  
Morning woke everyone with a loud clap of thunder. The rain drummed loudly on the roof like horses' hooves and lightning streaked wickedly across the sky. Yugi was downstairs finishing breakfast when Yami stumbled down the steps. He looked very tired.  
  
"Something wrong Yami?" Yugi asked.  
  
"No...not really."  
  
"You look like shit."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Yami sat down on the steps with his head in his hands. He couldn't stop thinking about Anthy. This feeling inside his heart...what was it? He never felt it before, and it seemed to be tearing him apart.  
  
"Maybe Yugi knows."  
  
"Maybe I know what?" Yugi asked, glancing over at him.  
  
Yami described what he felt. It seemed rather awkward for him----spilling his thoughts and feelings like this. Kind of embarrassing and at the same time...reassuring. Yugi thought for a second, then smiled.  
  
"You're in love Yami." Yami gave him a rather confused look.  
  
" 'Love'? What is 'love'?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.  
  
"Look it up. There's a dictionary on the bookshelf."  
  
Yami was really confused as he paged through the huge dictionary. His finger traced down the pages. It was getting really dull. Really dull. Really, REALLY, dull. I mean REALLY, REALLY------  
  
Then he found it.  
  
Love: to feel a lover's passion, devotion or tenderness. Yami looked up with an enormously confused look on his face and shut the dictionary. He really didn't believe that the definition was correct. He headed upstairs to get changed. Yugi was waiting by the door for him. Yami cocked his head to the side before remembering that they were headed to a party. He slapped his forehead and slipped his shoes on.  
  
  
  
The party was in Seto Kaiba's grand hall of the mansion. Anthy hung upside- down from the chandelier and Joey had a stopwatch, clearly timing her. She let go and fell face-first towards the ground. With a quick twist, she landed on her feet inches from Seto. Anthy looked rather...disoriented. Yami Bakura (B) put his hands on her shoulders and steadied her.  
  
"Woah, what a rush." She said, still swaying slightly. Her eyes fell on Yami and Yugi. She ran over rather quickly.  
  
"You made it!" She said, kneeling down and hugging Yugi (who was kind enough to return it.) The she stood up and gently hugged Yami. Then she walked over to Seto and began chatting with him. Then the music began playing.  
  
(Lyrics)  
  
Fire I can see it Burning so brightly  
  
Fire I can feel it Calling out to me...  
  
Joey nudged Yami as the music began.  
  
"Aren't you gonna ask her to dance?" Joey hissed, elbowing Yami in the ribs. Yami shook his head.  
  
"Oh come on. How often are you gonna get this chance?"  
  
"...okay."  
  
Anthy was sitting on a chair, watching Kaylynn and Seto dance with Tristan and Teah not too far away. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Yami, blushing slightly.  
  
"Would you like to dance?" He asked. Anthy stood up, nodding. Joey ran over and grabbed their wrists.  
  
"No, not like that." He dragged them out on the floor and pushed them together.  
  
"Like THAT." He said. Yami blushed and Anthy smiled.  
  
Time Close your eyes See dreams of tomorrow  
  
Time The wheels are turning To eternity  
  
And when The darkness comes I start to see A picture  
  
Of a lonely man So clearly now Reaching out to me  
  
Lead me to the light And take me to The edge of heaven  
  
I am Standing in the Night and Looking for The edge of heaven  
  
We'll be touching the edge of heaven...  
  
  
  
Yami opened the door with a sleeping Yugi in his arms. It was well past midnight, and a rather dismal and cloudy night at that. Yami sighed and placed the boy on his bed. Then he changed into a T-shirt and boxers. He yawned and laid down under the blanket with his head resting on the soft feather pillow. He was asleep in seconds, dreaming of the dance.  
  
He was woken up by a strong hand covering his mouth and pinching his nose shut. Yami struggled. The hand moved quickly to his throat. Yami looked up, but he could see nothing in the dim light. He instinctively kicked in a random direction.  
  
Nothing  
  
Yami struggled even more. Something sharp grazed his arm, and he felt blood slide down his arm. He was getting drowsy, and his movements were slowing down.  
  
Then Yugi moved.  
  
The hand removed itself from Yami's throat and whoever it was left through the window. The shades blew in the wind. Yami rushed into the bathroom and inspected his wound. He cleaned it, wrapped a bandage around it, and went back to bed.  
  
'If I hadn't moved, who knows what would have happened to me.' Yami thought as his mind drifted off to sleep. 


	2. An endless night

Shadow Play  
  
Chapter two: An endless night  
  
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The bliss of our meeting  
Is a gentle light  
Our eventual parting  
A pouring rain  
The indigo that blooms  
In a delicate shade  
For you  
I will be reborn  
In your arms  
I will be reborn  
  
Yami slept in the next morning. Yugi looked at him before going downstairs and getting ready for school. Yami slept rather comically. His shirt had been practically wriggled off of his body and was draped over his eyes. His head was halfway off his pillow and the blankets were sprawled out all over. Yugi smiled to himself and headed downstairs. He left a note for Yami and was off to school.  
  
The pharaoh woke around noon. He pulled the shirt off of his head and headed into the bathroom to take a shower. He cast a T-shirt and jeans on the floor and didn't notice the bandage flutter to the ground. Yami turned the water on before flicking the fan on. It hummed softly above the shower. Steam was rising above the curtain as Yami stepped in.   
  
The hot water hit the cut and made it sting like fire.  
  
Yami cried out in pain and nearly fell. He had totally forgotten about the little struggle last night. He decided to deal with it later---once he was out of the shower.   
  
The boy inspected the unusually long cut. It was healing, to an extent. He took a q-tip and peroxide and dabbed the cut. It fizzed as a white layer of foam formed over it. Yami winced.   
  
He slipped the T-shirt and jeans on and casually walked down stairs. He figured that Yugi was at school even before he read the note. Yami raided the kitchen cupboards looking for the Pop-tarts (he knew there were some left, he saw them yesterday). AHA! Yami was later seen sitting on the couch with one of the two Pop-tarts in his hand and the other in his mouth. He was reading through a RayEarth manga when A) the clock stuck two and B) the phone rang.   
  
"Hello, Muto residence." Yami said.  
  
"Hi Yami! It's Anthy."   
  
"Where are you?"   
  
"I'm at the concert hall, setting up for tonight."   
  
"You have a show?"  
  
"Yeah. Can you come around 6? You'll be able to get a good seat before it gets packed."   
  
"How long is this show?"   
  
"Dunno, depends on what you want me to sing."  
  
"Everything, preferably."   
  
"Okay. You coming?"   
  
"Sure. What are you wearing?"   
  
"You'll have to find out when you come."   
  
"Anyone else gonna be there?"  
  
"Kaylynn and Seto are coming. Ryou might but don't quote me on that."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"See you at six."   
  
"Bye."  
  
"Ja 'ne."   
  
Yami's heart seemed to jump for joy as he hung up the phone. He wiped the breakfast crumbs off of his face and walked up stairs to select an outfit to wear. (Buckles were obvious.)   
  
At six he was at the concert hall in his normal blue buckled attire and spotted Kaylynn and Seto. They were a few seats back from the stage. Kaylynn waved as Yami walked over. Ryou appeared in black jeans and a black T-shirt with "Do you know how many vegetables died for your stupid salad?" on it in green letters. Yami laughed and said that this was a great change for him. Ryou narrowed his eyes briefly before the lights dimmed and they scrambled into their seats as thousands of people flooded in. Every seat was filled as a spotlight hit the red curtain in the center. Anthy emerged from the surrounding darkness with a smile.   
  
She had a strapless blue dress, tight and flashy above her waist (revealing a red rose tattoo above her heart) and loose down by her legs with a slit up the side. She had blue gloves that ended in a small wing-like cuff a few inches above her elbow. Her white hair (long and straightened with a curling iron) hung limply behind the most elaborate part of her costume. Mecha-like wings, like they were from Clover, curled towards her as she raised the microphone to her sapphire blue lipstick.   
  
"Hi everybody! I thank you for being here tonight and I'm gonna start this with something cold. Cold as in Frozen." Anthy said. She cleared her throat as music started.  
  
"You only see what   
Your eyes want to see  
How can life be   
What you want it to be  
  
You're frozen, when your heart's not open  
  
You're so consumed with   
How much you get  
You waist your time   
With hate and regret  
  
You're frozen, when your heart's not open  
  
If I could melt  
Your heart  
We'd never be   
Apart  
  
Give your soul  
To me  
You hold  
The key  
  
Now there's no point in  
Placing the blame  
And you should know  
I suffer the same  
  
You're frozen, when your heart's not open  
  
Love is a bird  
She needs to fly  
Let all the hurt inside  
Of you die  
  
If I lose you, my heart will be broken  
  
If I could melt  
Your heart  
We'd never be   
Apart  
  
Give your soul  
To me  
You hold  
The key  
  
If I could melt your heart........."  
  
  
There was an explosion of cheers and whistles and applause. Anthy bowed her head before clearing her throat for the second song.   
  
"I'm gonna dedicate this song to Seto Kaiba and Kaylynn Pegasus. They're some of my best friends and were kind enough to escape and join us today. Stand up you two." Anthy pointed to the two as they stood up. Anthy's eyes glittered as they sat back down. The music started and thousands of screaming fans rose to their feet.  
  
"Let's live our lives heroically  
Let's live them with style  
  
And even if the two of us are ever torn apart  
(Let go of me)  
Take my revolution  
  
In the sunlit garden  
We both joined our hands  
Drawing close for comfort  
We both swore  
Never again would  
We ever fall in love  
  
See that photo  
Of us smiling  
Standing cheek to cheek  
I look at it and   
Loneliness   
Starts to fill me  
  
Even if I dream  
Even If I cry  
Even If I get hurt  
Reality keeps coming on  
Recklessly  
I wanna find out   
Where I am  
The value of being me  
Gonna take up  
Who I've been until now  
  
And find the strength  
To throw it away  
Strip down to nothing at all  
Become like a rose petal   
BLOWING FREE  
  
(At this point rose petals rained from the ceiling)  
  
And even if the two of us are ever torn apart  
  
I swear that I   
Will change the world."   
  
The thousands of whistles of screams filled Yami's ears as he stood and applauded and cheered with everyone else. Several more songs were sung after, with rose petals raining down upon them. But right before the last song, Anthy wasn't smiling. The look on her face was now solemn and grim. She looked out at the crowd, who had settled down and was watching her. She raised the microphone to her lips.  
  
"My last song is dedicated to one of my friends, who shall remain anonymous. This is my new song. Clover."   
  
Soft and sad music filled their ears.   
  
"I wish for happiness  
I seek happiness  
  
To find happiness with you  
To be your happiness  
  
So take me somewhere far away.  
  
An unbreakable spell  
A never-ending kiss  
An endless dream  
Eternal happiness  
  
So take me somewhere far away  
  
Birds sing a song   
In a foreign tongue  
A place where wings are not enough  
  
A place not reachable alone  
  
Retrace my broken future  
  
Please take me there.  
  
Birds in a cage  
Birds without wings  
Birds without voice  
Lonely birds  
  
So take me somewhere far away  
  
Soaked feathers  
Locked fingers  
The warmth of skin  
Two hearts  
  
Take me away  
I wish for happiness  
  
I'm happy to be   
  
I want to forget reality  
  
To be in my dreams with you  
  
Please take me far away  
  
Pleases take me to happiness."   
  
Of the thousands of people there, none said a word. Anthy's costume wings spread wide open and she seemed to be absorbing the tears and emotions in this room.   
  
"Thank you everyone for being here. Good-night."   
  
And Anthy disappeared behind the curtain of darkness. Ryou took Yami's hand and led him, Seto and Kaylynn back stage to see Anthy. Her eyes lit up with joy when she saw them. She immediately ran over and hugged Yami and Ryou.  
  
"Hey Anthy, don't I get a hug?" Seto asked.  
  
"If Kaylynn will let me."  
  
Kaylynn nodded and Anthy gave Seto a light hug.   
  
"Did you enjoy it?" Anthy asked.   
  
"I loved it. The last song was so moving, I don't think that I've ever heard or seen so much emotion in a place like this." Ryou said.   
  
"I like your shirt." Anthy said.  
  
Yami glared at Ryou, who glared back. Anthy saw this.  
  
"I love it when strong men fight, but let's settle this some other way instead. I'll be out front in a second, I have to change."   
  
Anthy stepped onto the concrete in her casual jeans and Navy blue tank top that said "I can only please one person a day, today is not your day. (Tomorrow doesn't look promising either)" Her eyes scanned the crowd and she spotted her friends on the corner. She slipped out and appeared behind Yami. She clapped her hands over his eyes.  
  
"Guess who!" Anthy said, giggling. Yami smiled as Kaylynn's laughing reached his ears.   
  
"Some obscenely hot singer?"   
  
"Hey! You peeked!" Anthy said, dropping her hands and wrapping her arms around his chest and swinging him around in a circle.   
  
"Well then. Do you do this often?"   
  
"Malik! Jess!"   
  
Kaylynn's eyes lit up as Malik Ishtar and Jess Lee walked into the light and put his hand on Anthy's shoulder.   
  
"I heard you sing, when's the CD coming out?" Jess asked.  
  
"Dunno, I'm still recording." Anthy replied.  
  
The faint sound of sirens came closer and closer. Everyone watched as a few fire engines flew past and turned down the street opposite to them.   
  
"Hey Yami, don't you live on that street?" Seto asked.   
  
"Let's check this out."   
  
The seven took off down the street, after the fleeting sirens. The soft glow of flames came into view.........at Yami's house. Everyone looked around for Yugi. No one had seen him. He was still inside the fearsome blaze. Yami threw his jacket onto the ground and asked Seto for a boost. Seto cupped his hands together and Yami put his foot into the "platform" and Seto tossed him through the second story window.   
  
"Yami!" Malik and Kaylynn held Anthy back as Yami vanished into the fire.   
  
Yami peered through the smoke and stepped forwards, tripping over a chair in the process. He called for Yugi, no reply. He headed downstairs. Nothing. He raced back upstairs and looked again. He could see Yugi backed into a corner, flames inching closer by the second. Yugi saw Yami standing there, but he couldn't move. The smoke (although it wasn't too hard to avoid it in Yugi's case) was limiting Yami's visibility. He decided to take a chance. Yami took a step back before leaping over the blaze and grabbing Yugi. The fire was closer and boards were falling from the ceiling. A beam was blocking Yami's entrance.  
  
"Shit." He hissed. He tightened his grip on Yugi and charged over the beam, through his entrance.   
  
He landed on the soft grass and stumbled. Kaylynn, Seto and Malik let go of Anthy and she shot off like a rocket towards them. Yami lay on his back, breathing heavily. Yugi stood next to him and was nearly plowed over by the Anthy rocket.   
  
"Yami! Are you dead?"   
  
"Yes I am. That's why I'm speaking to you."   
  
"You're funny. And your house is soon gonna be ashes."   
  
"Shut up."  
  
"You've got no place to go. So you're welcome to stay with me for a while."   
  
"I appreciate it. Now, let's leave before those losers with cameras find us."   
  
In a heartbeat, Seto Kaiba, Yami Yugi, Yugi Muto, Kaylynn Pegasus, Malik Ishtar and Anthy Kilik disappeared into the shadows. 


	3. Irritation

Shadow Play   
  
Chapter 3: Irritation  
  
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A heart does not know  
What sorrow it holds  
A dream cannot show  
The truth it unfolds  
Until the sleeper  
Awakens...  
  
Yugi sat on Anthy's bed, arms wrapped around his knees as he stared at the light beyond the closed door. He looked around the room and picked up a stuffed animal-a Siamese cat with crystal blue eyes. He pulled it close to him as muffled shouts came through the door. Yugi squeezed his eyes shut and tried to ignore the voices drifting into his ears. He hated when Anthy and Yami fought.   
  
"Are you telling me how to protect my aibou?"  
  
"No. God forbid I would tell a great 'Pharaoh' like YOU how to do things."  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"Look at this. A great Pharaoh can't win with words so now he tampers with the elements."  
  
"Silence mortal fool!"  
  
Anthy's next words were muffled suddenly and there was a small choking sound. Yami's grip was like iron, and Anthy had to take drastic measures. Electricity surged through her body and into Yami. He shouted in pain and let go, falling backwards.   
  
"Damn you little bitch." Yami said, wiping the blood from his mouth.  
  
"Fuck you bastard."  
  
Yami raised his hand to obliterate her. Anthy's hands crackled with lightning again.   
  
"Didn't you learn your lesson the first time?" She said, mock attacking.  
  
Yami flinched. Then he looked back at Anthy. Her head was turned to the right. Yami ran up and began shaking her and shouting. Anthy, without moving her head, cupped her hand over his mouth and turned his head.   
  
There, in the doorway of Anthy's room, stood Yugi.   
  
He had seen the whole thing.   
  
Yami let go of Anthy and turns to face Yugi. He turned his head away, picked up his jacket and walked towards the door.   
  
"Yami, where are you going?" Yugi asked.  
  
"To clear my head." Yami said simply before closing the door behind him.   
  
Anthy dropped to her knees as Yugi rushed into her arms and cried.   
  
  
Yami left the apartment building and turned east. The wind blew in his face and through the trees. It whispered to him and tried to make him turn away. He ignored it. He wasn't going back there-not back to that bitch. Yugi would be waiting for him----hell if he cared.   
  
The silence was killing him.   
  
Yami stopped and looked around. This city looked like a ghost town, and the clouds covering the moon. He began walking again. He stopped again by an eerie-looking alley. The wind whispered to him again, urging him to turn around. Again he ignored it and turned towards the entrance of the alley.   
  
The wind seemed to pick up, whipping through the trees and lashing at Yami's face.   
  
But as soon as it had begun, it ended.  
  
'Weird.' Yami thought, and continued walking.  
  
Someone was standing in his path. Yami tried to see who it was, but without the light of a full moon, he couldn't see much. Something made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. (Note: I bet they do that already but hey.)   
  
"I never thought you would come." The figure said.   
  
"Who-?" Yami asked.   
  
The figure moved fast. In an instant, his fist was planted in Yami's stomach. Yami gasped in pain and staggered. Something hit the back of his head-hard. Then his world went dark.   
  
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Anthy paced around the kitchen. Yugi sat on the counter and looked out the window.   
  
The silence was painful.  
  
Anthy finally stopped and stared out the window. She sang a few bars of 'Frozen' before the phone interrupted her. She made a mad dash at it, grabbed it, and slid into a wall.   
  
"Hello? Kilik Residence." She said.   
  
"Beautiful Shadow, you are missing someone."   
  
"Who the hell is this? Do you mean Yami?"  
  
"Is that his name?"  
  
The voice cut out for a moment and Anthy jerked the phone away from her ear as a scream of pain was heard.   
  
"Who are you?! Where's Yami?!"   
  
"Shadow, he is with me. And mind you, I'd only do this for you."   
  
Then the line went dead. Anthy hung up the phone.   
  
"Yugi, get you shoes on." She said, picking up the phone again.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"We're going to look for Yami."   
  
  
At the Kaiba mansion, Seto was awoken by Mokuba. The child had his hand over one end of the phone and was shaking his older brother.   
  
"Nii-sama! Nii-sama!"   
  
"What?"  
  
"The phone's for you-and it sound urgent."   
  
Seto sat up, took the phone and shooed his brother out of the room.   
  
"Hello?"   
  
"Seto, it's Anthy."  
  
"Why are you calling me at this hour?  
  
"Yami-I-I think........."  
  
"What about Yami?" Seto asked, alert in an instant.  
  
"He's missing. I just got a phone call from someone.........and........"  
  
"And what? Tell me Anthy-what's going on?"   
  
"I wish I knew. Meet us at my apartment building in five minute. Kaylynn and Yugi will be there too."   
  
Then, she hung up. Seto quickly changed and was soon racing down the street on a jet-black motorcycle. The three were standing and waiting for Seto. Both Kaylynn and Anthy wore sleeveless, tight, black tank tops and shorts-like they were ready to run.   
  
"Okay, we all split up and meet on Main Street in thirty minutes." Kaylynn said.  
  
"Right. I'll go east. Seto, North. Yugi, you'll meet up with Jess and go west. And Kaylynn, South." Anthy said.   
  
"Got it. Let's go team." Kaylynn said.  
  
Anthy was the first to go. She turned around and got ready to run.  
  
"Anthy-wouldn't you want something more for you feet?" Seto asked.   
  
Anthy looked down. Her feet wore pieces of beadwork. They first looped around her middle toe (on each foot) and came up in red and black diamonds and then looped around her ankle.   
  
"I'll be fine. See you in thirty."   
  
Then she disappeared into the night.   
  
Kaylynn was next, heading south as fast as her legs would take her. Seto and Yugi nodded at each other and went on their paths.   
  
"I swear that I will change the world." Anthy's words were carried away by the wind as she turned into an alley and melted into the darkness. 


	4. Chasing Downstream

Shadow Play  
  
Chapter 4: Chasing Downstream  
  
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Running swiftly through  
The darkening wood  
Running  
Running  
Running  
From what home do you come?  
Where will you go?  
Running   
Running  
Running  
Let the wolves beside you  
Lead you home  
Running   
Running  
Running  
  
Yami Yugi cautiously opened one eye, then the other. He tried to sit up, but hit his head against some metal-it felt like a chain-link fence. There was a crack of light to his left. He reached for it-only to find the metal again. He heard footsteps, and someone pulled a towel off what turned out to be a dog cage. He cursed to himself and looked around. Yami appeared to be in some sort of small basement-like room. He could see the grass beyond the small windows. The figure walked towards him and placed one hand on the cage.   
  
"You doing okay pup?" Yami glared.   
  
The figure smirked and kicked the cage. It slid (rather quickly) into a wall. Yami's head bashed against the metal and he fell to the various blankets that were spread on the bottom of this cage. He lay there for a few moments-unsure of what to do otherwise.   
  
"You're not dead. You can't fool me that easily." Yami suddenly recognized the voice.  
  
"Oh my god----TRISTAN?"   
  
"Yes. I'm surprised it took you so long to figure it out."   
  
Yami narrowed his eyes and watched his captor's movements. Tristan undid the latch to the cage and opened the door. Yami made a break for the window, but two fingers hooked under his dog collar and pulled him back. There was a *Clip* sound before Tristan let go. But Yami knew better than to run. Tristan stepped back, jerked his hand backwards and spun around so his back faced Yami. Only for a second. Yami was pulled backwards and his back smashed into the wall. He dropped to his knees. Tristan placed one foot in the middle of Yami's back-pressing him into the ground. Then he pulled sharply on the leash he had in his hand.   
  
Yami shut his eyes tightly as Tristan practically stood on his back. But as soon as this began, it ended. Yami again lay on the floor, knowing better than to stand up. Tristan tied the leash to a pipe and pulled out a PP7 silenced. Yami's eyes widened in fear as he sprang to his feet. Too late. Pain and blood exploded in each of his hands. Two bullets fell to the ground. Yami shouted in pain briefly before crumpling to the ground next to them.   
  
"Damn." He hissed.   
  
  
  
Anthy heard the gunshots. She stopped and tried to figure out where they came from, before taking off again. Her feet were getting scratched and scarred, but that didn't matter to her. It was pain she had to endure. The wind whispered 'death' into her ears-she had to ignore it. Something told her Yami wasn't dead. He was still here-somewhere.   
  
  
  
Jess and Malik sped through the streets on of course, his motorcycle. Jess looked back at Yugi. There was a string tied to the shocks, leading up to a "kite". This "kite" was Yugi holding onto "wings" and tied to a string that was tied to the bike.   
  
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Jess looked back at the road and tightened her grip on Malik's waist.   
  
"How fast are we going?!" She shouted over the wind.  
  
"110."   
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"This is just search speed."   
  
Jess and Malik laughed and turned left, heading towards the rendezvous point.   
  
  
  
Yami tore at the leash even harder. His hands were in such pain that it hurt to bend a finger. Tristan hit him over the head, telling him to stop. He untied the leash and held it in his hands. Yami saw his chance. He made a mad dash at the window, pulling the lead away from his former friend's grasp.   
  
The window was already open, held up by a stick to let fresh air in. Yami scrambled out of it, knocking the stick over. The end of the leash got caught in the window.  
  
"Shit."   
  
"Going somewhere?"   
  
Tristan pulled on the leash. Yami stumbled back, but stood his ground. His bloody hands felt his neck for the clip. Pain shot up his arms as he fumbled with it for a moment.   
  
The leash fell to the ground as Yami Yugi disappeared into the night.........with Tristan not too far behind.  
  
@@@@@@  
  
Ohhhhhh. Okay readers, you wanna know what happens to him---right? Here's a teaser.  
  
"Anthy! To your left!" Seto pointed.  
  
"Yami!" Anthy shouted and ran forwards.   
  
Yami turned away from his enemy to the sound of footsteps behind him---but that was his mistake...... 


	5. Shadow Play

Shadow Play  
  
Chapter 5: Shadow Play  
  
@@@@@@@@  
  
An ember just lit  
Let it not be put out  
My thoughts just created  
May they not be forgotten  
Watch over this cradle  
I begin again from nothing  
For myself I will be reborn  
In your arms  
I will be reborn  
  
Yami didn't look back as he ran. He wasn't sure if his feet even touched the ground. If they did, it was at fifteen-foot intervals. His lungs screamed for air and his legs burned in pain. Yami turned the corner. He could see Tristan not too far behind---10, maybe 15 meters. Anyways. He rounded the corner onto Orion and Main. He thought he was safe for the moment and slowed down. Yami turned around and looked for his pursuer.   
  
Nothing.   
  
Yami walked into the middle of the street. No cars would be out at 2:30 AM. He yawned and looked at the moon.   
  
"I wonder where Anthy is. She probably dispatched a search party." He said to himself.  
  
*Click*   
  
Yami froze and slowly turned around. He backed up as Tristan advanced, gun in hand.   
  
  
  
  
Anthy was the last to arrive, and was limping. Her left foot was leaving blood. Seto smirked.  
  
"Weren't you told about that?"  
  
"Shove it. It's my fault, not yours."   
  
"What happened anyways?"  
  
"Yeah! Enlighten us O wise one."  
  
"Shut up Malik. I slit it open while I was running. I cleared a broken bottle a little too late."   
  
"Oh."   
  
"One question Malik."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Why is Yugi dressed up as a kite?"  
  
"Eh........."   
  
Kaylynn and Jess separated the two and concluded that they found nothing. Ryou untied the Yugi-kite and Seto sighed. Then he noticed something. He looked down the street and saw Yami backing up under a street light.   
  
"Anthy!"  
  
"What?"   
  
"Look!"  
  
"Yami!"   
  
Anthy led the gang and ran. Blood was flying from her cut. Jess pulled out her cell phone.  
  
"Yami!" She shouted.  
  
Yami turned to the sound of her voice and began to run towards Anthy.   
  
That was his mistake.   
  
*BANG*   
  
Time seemed to slow as blood flew from Yami's chest. Anthy reached him first, and caught him. She dropped to her knees, holding him gently, tears welling up in her eyes. Jess made the first hit. She ran up to Tristan and used her fists. She backed up as Kaylynn, Malik, and Seto moved in. There were sirens and a cop car pulled up. Joey leapt out of it.   
  
"Joey? Is this a joke?" Tristan asked.  
  
Joey flashed his badge.   
  
"Thanks for callin' Jess."   
  
"How did you know Joey was a cop?" Seto asked.  
  
"I busted her for drinking underage. And she was wasted."  
  
"I was not!"  
  
"The hang over the next day told otherwise."   
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"I was there holding your hair back."   
  
"Um.........let's turn our attention to the more serious factor."  
  
"Which is?"  
  
"Him." Kaylynn pointed to Tristan, who was running. Jess jumped on Malik's bike.  
  
"MalikI'mgonnaborrowthisBYE!"   
  
"Wait!"   
  
SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!  
  
"WATCH HER PAINT!"  
  
Jess caught up with Tristan and plowed him into the dirt. Joey and his buddies pitched him into the car. Joey stayed.   
  
*While all this is happening*  
  
Anthy wiped the tears from her eyes as Yami opened his mouth to speak.  
  
"Hold on Yami. We'll get you to a hospital." Anthy said in a shaky voice.  
  
"I have lived long enough Anthy. I hope........."  
  
"Hope?"   
  
"I hope you can forgive me."   
  
"I can! Yami, don't do this to me."  
  
"Kiss me.........so I can love you once more."  
  
And Anthy did.   
  
"Thank.........you........."   
  
Then, he was gone.   
  
@@@@@@  
  
Next: Epilogue. 


	6. A Song for One

Shadow Play  
  
Epilogue: A Song for One  
  
  
  
It has been one full year since that day. Tristan got life in prison and Joey got some sort of award. Anthy became very depressed for a few months and tried to take her life twice. Every time, Kaylynn, Yugi and Seto have come bursting through the door at the last second. She doesn't know what she would have done without them.   
  
Anthy had one last concert before she signed my record deal and make it to the big leagues. She looked into the mirror before stepping out onto stage.   
  
She was dressed in blue leather pants, a sleeveless blue leather shirt with buckles and a blue jacket with buckles on its sleeves. Don't forget the dog collar. Anthy picked up one last item. A Sennen item to be exact.   
  
That's right.   
  
The Millennium Puzzle.   
  
She slipped the silver chain over her head and stepped on stage. Anthy's eyes scanned the audience. Kaylynn, Ryou, Yugi, Seto, Joey, and Malik were in the front row. There was an empty seat next to Yugi and Ryou. She almost cried again.   
  
"Okay! People! As you know, this is the last concert before I make it to the big leagues!"   
  
The crowd exploded. She ran through her songs and as the night drew to a close, Anthy stopped with all the happiness (she just sang "Clover") and looked at everyone.   
  
"You guys have been great and as a special treat, you get to hear my two newest songs. I'll start with 'To Be Reborn'."   
  
The music started and she began.  
  
To be born again  
For your sake  
  
Blowing away the past  
On fluttering clouds  
Letting the future   
Ride on flowing winds  
  
Fearlessly  
Unceasingly  
Patiently  
  
To be reborn   
Again in your arms  
  
Once again  
I'll await my birth   
In a golden  
Egg  
  
Once again  
To fly  
With silver  
Wings   
  
For myself  
I will be reborn  
  
In your arms  
I will be reborn  
  
The bliss of our meeting  
A gentle light  
Our eventual parting  
A pouring rain  
  
The indigo   
That blooms  
In a delicate  
Shade  
  
For you   
I will be reborn  
  
You take my hand  
And I hold yours  
  
Don't look away  
Never let go  
The strength of will  
The frailty of wish  
Embrace us all   
  
In your arms  
I will be  
Reborn  
  
The crowd went nuts. Anthy didn't think they cared what it said, they just liked the tune.   
  
"One last song. This is dedicated to my friend Yami Yugi, who couldn't be here. He is the real King of Games."  
  
The music started and she began.  
  
We're supposed to start  
Dueling on the river today  
And for Yami and me  
It's a way to get pay  
  
I was counting on him  
To be at the dock by ten  
A week's pay says he's still at home  
Cause the boy's in his own time zone  
  
I'm waiting on   
Yu-Gi-Oh whadya know  
Time flies fast but he is slower  
And I   
I've told him over   
And over now   
Don't you be late  
Oh but like always  
I'm just ready to go  
And waiting on Yu-Gi-Oh   
  
Tow boat's aleaving   
Cause it don't care  
What's not on board  
And who's not there  
  
Once that whistle blows  
Down the mighty river it goes  
Man if I could be more like that  
I'd get on with my life and never look back  
  
Instead of  
Waiting on   
Yu-Gi-Oh whadya know  
Time flies fast but he is slower  
And I   
I've told him over   
And over now   
Don't you be late  
Oh but like always  
I'm just ready to go  
And waiting on Yu-Gi-Oh   
  
And he's in a hurry  
Cause he's running behind  
Now I'm not one to worry  
But I've got a real bad  
Feeling this time  
  
(Tears began rolling down my cheeks)  
  
Cause sirens are   
Crying all through this town  
And Ryou just said  
Yami never slowed down  
  
He tried to beat that morning train  
My life will never be the same  
I never got tell my best friend good-bye  
Lord I wish somehow he could show me a sign  
  
But  
I'm waiting on   
Yu-Gi-Oh whadya know  
Time flies fast but he is slower  
And I   
I've told him over   
And over now   
Don't you be late  
Oh but like always  
I'm just ready to go  
And waiting on Yu-Gi-Oh   
  
Waiting on Yu-Gi-Oooooooooh  
Waiting on Yu-Gi-Oh  
  
Anthy's eyes, still streaming tears, scanned the audience and spied the empty seat.   
  
Yami was standing with the rest of the crowd, clapping and smiling.   
  
Anthy bowed and retreated behind the curtain. She sank into the chain in front of the mirror and slipped the Millennium Puzzle over her head and set it on a table.   
  
"Was that really? Could it have been?" She asked over and over.   
  
A slight chill ripped through her. Anthy looked in the mirror and saw the vague outline of Yami. She spun around.  
  
Nothing.   
  
She met Yugi, Seto, Malik, Kaylynn, Joey and Ryou outside.   
  
"Did you like it?" She asked, picking Yugi up and swinging him around in a circle---just like she did with Yami.   
  
"I especially liked the last one. I don't think that anyone else knew the meaning as strong as any of us." Kaylynn said.   
  
Anthy wiped the tears from her eyes.   
  
"Are you okay?" Seto asked, putting one hand on her shoulder.   
  
"Yeah." Anthy said.   
  
Then, she collapsed into a heap, (Seto caught her), trying to fight back tears. She told them what she had seen after the show.   
  
"You don't look too good." Malik said.  
  
"Thanks." Anthy wiped tears away.  
  
"Let's get you home." Ryou said.   
  
Anthy agreed.  
  
  
  
Seto opened the door to the apartment and froze.   
  
"Wha-?" Kaylynn, Malik, Joey, Jess, Yugi and Ryou entered next and stopped dead in their tracks.  
  
Anthy was last in, jacket slung over her shoulders like a cape. She looked up and stopped breathing for a moment.   
  
"I wasn't sure when you'd come."   
  
"Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Yami?" Anthy whispered.   
  
"I didn't have a chance to tell you what I wanted to before I left."  
  
"Tristan got life in the slammer." Joey said.  
  
Yami-spirit nodded.   
  
"Seto, I'm sorry I left before we dueled once more."   
  
Seto was speechless. Dueling was the last thing on his mind. Yami turned to Joey next.  
  
None of them said anything, just shot each other a thumbs-up.   
  
Kaylynn and Jess were next.  
  
"Kay-chan, you're still one of the coolest people I've ever met. With your magic, you can come to the astral plain and visit."  
  
Kaylynn nodded and grinned.  
  
"Ryou, Malik, I'm just going to say 'Daijobu'."   
  
The two fought back their tears.  
  
"Yugi."  
  
".........Yami?"  
  
"I want you to know that you're one of the best friends I've ever had in my life."  
  
Yugi didn't fight the tears.  
  
Anthy looked into Yami's eyes.  
  
"Anthy. I want you to know that you are the first person that I have ever loved."  
  
"As are you."  
  
"And for that I am thankful."   
  
Anthy wished right then and there that she hadn't yelled at him or shocked him.  
  
"I'm glad I could hear you sing one last time."   
  
And then, he was gone.   
  
Anthy sank to her knees and cried---tears of pure joy. 


End file.
